kwtoxman
Well-known member
Thx! I to think it's a "great" assortment/mix
... they are both great, each with different personalities/experiences. Different types of rides, different vehicle dynamics and different advantages/disadvantages. Variety is very good! I've had them (Solstice GXP and Golf MK6 R) from new and would recommend either one at this point; both models in their generation have been reliable vehicles overall... over the years and on the forums. So it depends on how performance-oriented you want to go with a daily driver sports car buy and how much you want to give up in other areas. I have no regrets with the R as my daily but as I mentioned, a friend has no regrets with his GXP as a daily.Reliability in the Golf R has been high so far (and the Solstice GXP too). And that's really important to me (I don't need those headaches). The MK6 R 2.0 engine was the last and most refined version of that design; it included a number of fixes and improvements from earlier offerings. And it also includes improvement to the most commonly spoke-of fuel pump cam follower, fixing earlier reliability issues. The MK7 R (and GTI) is a new 2.0 engine design and it's turned to be as reliable as the last MK6 R engines... but without the fuel pump cam follower design and specific/added maintenance. The MK6 Golf R fuel pump cam follower refinements in the top spec R engine have shown now over the years a general consensus replacement schedule of 20K miles with a modified aftermarket fuel pump and IIRC 40K miles with the stock pump. I recommend replacement but at least do an inspection of the piece. Turns out MK6 Golf R fuel pump cam follower maintenance is easy to do at home (with multiple youtube videos) and an internet full replacement kit is $31 US. Win win. IIRC, the MK6 GTI is a different and newer engine design without the cam follower design as well (like the MK7 R).
Let me add that both the GXP and MK6 R cars can be modified from light to heavy, and with different advantages and disadvantages. We're getting into the weeds now but lets geek out for the enthusiasts. I find the GXP to be the better car for many people to modify, in so much as you can use the stock clutch up to some impressive hp/tq gains in the range of 50% over stock before it becomes an issue. The last few generations of Golf Rs (including the MK7 and 6) have been known to have clutches that don't play well with even smaller engine hp/tq gains over stock... a number of people with just aftermarket tunes have reported clutch slippage problems. And upgraded clutches are not so fun in a "daily driver", with a depressing amount of reported issues, loss of refinement and potential loss of reliability (quality installers can be hard to find). I'm on the OEM stock clutch with both cars and no issues. But get spendy with a good builder and both cars can get to be impressive platforms and rides.
Make no mistake though, nothing beats basic mods for OEM-level reliability. I didn't even tune the R, though I have VCDS and did upgrade/customize many of the car's electronic features and behaviors (including Euro LED OEM brake lights). Both cars have similar enthusiast communities (smaller but active, from mild to wild).
FWIW, the Solstice GXP is definitely a quicker/faster car (at least to high speed) than the R. It's significantly lighter and has a lot of torque. With the GM tune it has 340 lbs/ft (with manual transmission plus its mechanical advantage over slushboxes) and the dyno graphs consistently show an impressive early rpm torque curve (even the stock 260 ft/lbs configuration) . E.g.,
The GXP engine performance is more V8 like with early torque; the MK6 (and 7) R is much more of a revver in the power deliver. The GXP platform is impressive; it's lighter, more responsive and more powerful than most people realize; I've seen the GXP beat M4's in AX (and I have a picture of an M4 literally showing a wheel off the ground in a flat corner AX maneuver <race tires help... and pretty cool>). The GXP is also RWD which is much more pure sports car than the Golf R (as per the earlier sports car debate) and you can turn off the drivers aids in steps; from full-on to full off (important if you are a driving enthusiast, imo). Canadian MK6 R's came with the similar driver's aid reduction options. I don't know about GTI or MK7 R's.
OTOH the MK6 Golf R is just more refined than the GXP if you want that in your daily driver. The MK6/7 Golf R has a much more refined, lower effort and easy-to-work with clutch feel in daily driving, a much nicer and more refined ride (my GXP with the KW V3 suspension <and other upgrades> is great for AX but a compromise on the street), is more comfortable and loaded (options-wise), plus easier and more flexible to work with day-to-day. The Golf R has heated seats, the GXP doesn't.
I could have went with the MK6 or 7 GTI; I'm very happy having gone the upgraded R choice I made. I'm not big on FWD in a daily sports car. YMMV. We're all different. It depends on what you're looking for in car and want to willing to put up with. As I posted earlier, a friend has no regrets with his GXP as a daily driver. Good luck with the search. Cheers.
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